Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in hallucinogenic mushrooms, shows modest evidence for treating depression and anxiety disorders, and early data suggest it may reduce harmful drinking in alcohol use disorder. When administered under supervision, side effects are mild and transient, and severe adverse events are uncommon. However, a recent clinical trial found increased suicidal ideations and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors in the psilocybin arm. Further investigation is needed to identify which patient subgroups benefit most and which are at risk for adverse outcomes.
Adolescent cannabis use and family history of substance use disorders (SUD) each independently predict paranoid and schizotypal personality traits in young adulthood, but preadolescent transmissible liability to SUD does not. The study followed 448 children of men with or without a lifetime SUD history from ages 10-12 to age 19. Cannabis use at age 16 and family SUD history were both linked to higher paranoid and schizotypal symptoms at age 19, with no interactive effect between liability and cannabis use. Paranoid and schizotypal symptoms displayed different dose-dependent sensitivities to cannabis exposure, suggesting distinct pathways not involving behavioral disinhibition.